From The Desk Of Pastor Ben
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me.”     (Acts 9:3-4) NIV

Over the last several years, we have been given and purchased ourselves, rose bushes to plant in memory of loved ones we have lost. We planted the bushes and couldn’t wait to see the beautiful blooms. But they didn’t bloom. We nurtured them and fertilized them and watered them, bu no blooms. Each year, for 3 years we expected to see blooms, but none came. I got discouraged and wanted to dig them up & throw them away. But my wife said to be patient and just wait.
Then, after 3 years, for no reason I could understand, the plants began to blossom; not just one or two, but all 4 rose bushes began to bloom. I began to think, “What if I’d dug them up and thrown them out?”
A Pharisee named Saul had built his life around persecuting our Lord and His followers. Empathy for Christians and producing fruit for God’s Kingdom weren’t even on his radar. Spiritually, he was as barren as those rose bushes. But Jesus saw the potential and power hidden in Saul’s heart — the intense devotion that would grow inside him. He waited, and when the time was right, Jesus transformed this man into Paul, one of His strongest apostles. The faith that grew in this once cruel man was beautiful, even shocking, and it fuels believers’ needs to this day.
Jesus does the same for us, feeding and cultivating our souls. Whether we take a day or most of our lives to give our hearts to Him, He will never forsake us. He’s done His part. Now it’s time for us to bloom right where we are.

Faith Step:     Buy a slow-to-bloom flowering plant to remind you of those you know who are “slow to bloom.” Never give up on them. Jesus won’t.